<p>I am curious…I imagine a number of women apply to both Barnard and Columbia. Do you think Barnard knows this (I guess if you apply for FA and list them both on FAFSA they might, but I’m asking if they do on purpose) and takes those applicants somewhat less seriously? </p>
<p>I know it’s not possible to apply to SEAS and CC, but it is possible to apply to Barnard and one of those. Since they share courses, campuses, dorms, clubs, sports…most things besides frosh dorms and grad requirements…it’s not inconceivable that a woman would enjoy either experience.</p>
<p>I suppose a related question - and yes I know I am in the Barnard forum so will likely get Barnard-heavy replies - is what would you see as the big advantage of one over the other?</p>
<p>My sense is that Barnard has better advising…? </p>
<p>I’m asking because D toured both and really liked Columbia more…but that had more to do with the campus (tours don’t cover both) and a subpar tour guide and admissions office at Barnard (not very in-depth tour, kind of dismissive admissions workers). I think she’d be a great fit for Barnard and if not, well she could more or less do what she wants at Columbia as a Barnard student. Am I way off?</p>
<p>My D applied to both but really wanted Barnard. She only applied to Columbia because of the no loans financial aid packages. She has a friend moving into her suite when they return who just transferred from Columbia to Barnard I think that’s so cool!</p>
<p>Admissions is separate. My D. graduated from Barnard in 2010 - she also very much liked the Columbia campus when she toured – but she never considered Columbia as she was looking for a more flexible curriculum. She actually would have preferred an entirely open curriculum – like Brown – so Columbia’s core was a non-starter for her. For about half the time she was at Barnard, half the campus was inaccessible due to the construction of what I guess they now call the Diana Center – it didn’t open until toward the end of her senior year – so I’m sure my D. probably ended up spending more time physically on the Columbia campus than Barnard.</p>
<p>I do think that the advising system at Barnard is far better than Columbia-- students at Barnard work very closely with faculty members, with a shift in advisers when they choose their major. Plus there’s a thesis adviser, and my daughter also worked very closely with the Dean in charge of fellowship advising. My daughter applied for a prestigious fellowship after she had been out of college for a year and then 2 years later applied to grad school, and she was able to go back to work with the faculty and get support and recommendation letters – plus she really spoke highly of Barnard’s career advising as well. </p>
<p>I don’t think that Barnard really cares whether a student has applied to Columbia or not, but I do think they probably look for clear signs of interest and fit in the application process. So if someone really prefers Columbia and is just throwing in another application to Barnard with the idea of it being some sort of backup in case Columbia rejects them – I think that probably is usually apparent in the application, and those students are probably more likely to get turned down than the ones who are showing more enthusiasm for Barnard in their application. So I don’t think it would be too helpful for you to push your daughter into applying to Barnard just because you like it better – Barnard is still very selective and they probably will pass on a student who doesn’t seem to connect with them.</p>
<p>Some schools discuss cross-applicants, but unless you have specific knowledge of such (e.g., our D1’s adcom dean told me she was “cross-discussed” with a peer school) there’s no way to know in a given case.</p>
<p>Originally the Ivies agreed to stop talking, but there was no legal determination. The only legal issue appears to be Congress’ continued exemption of colleges from the Sherman Antitrust Act in connection with financial aid discussions; schools may talk. I find nothing suggesting that colleges can’t talk with each other about admissions.</p>
<p>Thank you for your input, everyone. B-mom I plan to ask you some questions as we go further in the process. calmom you make some good points, very helpful, thanks. </p>
<p>D will visit both again - we’re in NYC fairly often. She’s also interested in SEAS though I may discourage that since it essentially locks her in to engineering/applied science. She thinks she may like engineering but I am not sure she needs to lock herself into a program she can’t easily get out of if she decides to go a different way. She’s a young junior as it is - only just 16 - and still indecisive about major. I think the core or the ways of knowing would be a good idea for her, it would allow her to explore disciplines before committing.</p>
<p>She didn’t like the idea of the core coming into this at all - like your D she also loves the Brown open curriculum, did a summer course there - but she warmed up to the core when our tour guide talked about how cool it was to share that experience with all the other students, it was something they all had in common.</p>
<p>Did I mention our Columbia tour guide was great and our Barnard tour guide not at all great? The Barnard guide talked a lot about what she could do at Columbia as a Barnard student, didn’t go into many buildings - mainly stood outside them and talked. It was boring. Our Columbia guide was an SEAS student and very animated about her courses, student life, dorms…and didn’t mention Barnard courses at all. </p>
<p>So I think D should see both again, perhaps with a better guide. We also couldn’t stay for the Barnard info session that time, maybe that would have given a better sense of things.</p>
<p>OHMom – if your daughter is leaning toward engineering, then Barnard probably would not be a good fit. It would probably be fairly rare for a SEAS student to take courses at Barnard – much more common for a Columbia student with a humanities or social sciences focus. </p>
<p>I think perhaps its might be better for you and your daughter to do more research before visiting, rather than rely on impressions from a tour guide or info session. I’m on the west coast so I didn’t accompany my d. for any college visits – I just put her on a plane and let her manage what she could. She was a senior and scheduled interviews at various schools, including Barnard – and she felt very positive after the interview. But we had already gone through a pre-screening process of matching schools to interest/ prospective major – so she was able to ask very specific questions about her areas of interest. </p>
<p>"…what would you see as the big advantage of one over the other?"</p>
<p>To me, Barnard and Columbia have somewhat different atmospheres , which individuals may variously prefer. To me, Barnard seems more intimate, while Columbia feels definitely in the “big U” camp. Some people prefer universities, some prefer LACs. Vive la diff</p>
<p>My D loves talking to girls considering Barnard so if your D wants to get in touch with a current sophomore, I’m sure she’d exchange emails or IMs or something with her if you’d like. Send me a private message and we’ll figure it out, if your D is interested :)</p>
<p>My D loves that Barnard is a small LAC with the emphasis on female empowerment. She is a Barnard Well Woman peer counselor, works at the babysitting agency (as an employee and a babysitter), works at alumnae fundraising and is also in the Columbia marching band, Columbia Dems, and a Columbia sorority. The Barnard women join the sororities at Columbia because they don’t have them at Barnard. There are a lot of things that are integrated, but it’s separated too.</p>
I think that’s so cool!</p>